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JavaScript

Posted by Thomas Greer
Thomas Greer
8,257 Points

There was an error with your code: SyntaxError: Parse error

Help me with my code challenge please. What is a Parse error?

Thomas Greer
Thomas Greer
8,257 Points

This is the the challenge: Add a final else clause to this conditional statement so that if the isAdmin variable and isStudent variables are both false an alert opens with the message "Who are you?" And this is the code I have:

var isAdmin = false; var isStudent = false;

if ( isAdmin ) {
    alert('Welcome administrator');
} else if (isStudent) {
    alert('Welcome student');
} else (false) {
    alert('Who are you?');
}

5 Answers

Nicholas Olsen
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Nicholas Olsen
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 19,342 Points 
if ( isAdmin ) {
    alert('Welcome administrator');
} else if (isStudent) {
    alert('Welcome student');
} else (false) {
    alert('Who are you?');
}

The problem with this code is that the final 'else' clause does not take a condition, it simply catches whatever has not been caught before it. So simply change 'else (false) {' to just 'else {' :

if ( isAdmin ) {
    alert('Welcome administrator');
} else if (isStudent) {
    alert('Welcome student');
} else {
    alert('Who are you?');
}
Thomas Greer
Thomas Greer
8,257 Points

That makes sense. Thank you very much!

Nicholas Olsen
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Nicholas Olsen
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 19,342 Points
Nicholas Olsen
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree
Nicholas Olsen
Front End Web Development Techdegree Student 19,342 Points

A Parse error means the there is something wrong with the syntax of your code, perhaps a missing bracket, parenthesis, curly brace. Also possibly a missing semicolon, maybe an accidentally inserted character out of place. It is just something that the javascript interpreter cannot make sense of. If the error gives you a line number, look at that line number and see if something appears off.

Alternatively, you can post your code and we can point it out.

Saira Bottemuller
PLUS
Saira Bottemuller
Courses Plus Student 1,749 Points
Saira Bottemuller
Saira Bottemuller
Courses Plus Student 1,749 Points

Thank you Nicholas, and thank you Thomas for asking this - I took that challenge a while back and had the same trouble - BUT it was the reason I started remembering the difference in syntax for else if -vs- else. It's the little things, you know? :)

Mireille Bonapart
Mireille Bonapart
5,254 Points
Mireille Bonapart
Mireille Bonapart
5,254 Points

Thanks Nicholas, I also struggled with this one. I really appreciate your explanation on the parse error message. Apparently I forgot the question mark in the question: "Who are you?" that caused my code not to pass :(

Lauren Sithole Gadyadza
Lauren Sithole Gadyadza
6,659 Points
Lauren Sithole Gadyadza
Lauren Sithole Gadyadza
6,659 Points

thank you so much i struggled on this one too yet i was very close, had written a condition(false) and also had missed a question mark. thanks again, best answer indeed